Raynham business community sees Buddhist temple as economic opportunity

Sunday

Jun 15, 2014 at 11:10 PMJun 18, 2014 at 8:03 PM

As long as it's handled tactfully, there's nothing objectionable about mixing Buddhism and business, according to representatives of Raynham's business community.

Charles Winokoor Taunton Gazette Staff Reporter @cwinokoor

RAYNHAM — As long as it’s handled tactfully, there’s nothing objectionable about mixing Buddhism and business, according to representatives of Raynham’s business community.

With the public unveiling this past week of the new Wat Nawamintararachutis temple on South Street East, nearby businesses are contemplating the potential for boosting their bottom lines by way of increased tourism.

The $60 million Thai-style temple is the largest Buddhist house of worship of its kind outside of Thailand.

“I think absolutely it could be a tourist attraction. It’s exciting, and I think it’s lucky our region has it,” said Kerrie Babin, executive director of the Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce.

Babin said she expects to discuss the idea with fellow members of the Southeastern Massachusetts Convention and Visitors Bureau, which consists of five Bristol County chambers of commerce.

Raynham Board of Selectmen Chairman Joseph Pacheco said he doesn’t object to a campaign encouraging tourists to stop off, or even travel to the town as a specific destination, to visit the site — but only if temple representatives are consulted and agree to the concept.

“They have to be fully on board,” Pacheco said. “It’s a place of worship, and there’s a fine line we need to respect.”

Temple representatives previously invited people in the local community to visit the 119,000-square-foot structure.

Because of its religious and educational status, Pacheco said, the new Buddhist temple is not required to pay property taxes to the town.

Dave and Shirley Peterson, proprietors for the past 34 years of Annie’s Bookstore, a used book store in Cojean Plaza on South Street West, said they hope the town spreads the word about the new temple and meditation center.

“We’ve been telling people since they broke ground to go up there. It’s very, very impressive,” Shirley Peterson, 76, said.

Dave Peterson said one of his son’s friends and his Thai wife have been driving to the Raynham temple once a month from their home in Manchester, N.H., in order to meditate and worship.

“I think it’s a great idea; it sure is an attraction,” Peterson, 77, said.

The Petersons said they haven’t waited for town officials to devise a tourism strategy: They began stocking their shelves a year ago with books about the Buddhist faith in anticipation of the temple’s completion.

Buddy Carp said he hopes visitors to the temple site at some point consider stopping in for a bottle of wine or liquor at his Debucas Wine & Spirits in Cape Roads Crossing on South Street West.

“It definitely could be a tourist attraction for us and the hotels in the area,” Carp, 55, said. “I can’t imagine it wouldn’t be.”

He noted that the Hampton Inn on the other side of Route 44 provides van service for hotel guests who want to shop locally, which sometimes includes a visit to his store.

And if someone wants to consider a big-ticket item after taking in the grandeur of Wat Nawamintararachutis, Adam Silver said he’ll be waiting.

“Anything for extra traffic. If they’re looking for a new Jeep, they can stop in before heading to the Cape,” said Silver, general manager of Central Auto Team at 191 New State Highway.